The Experiment: On May 24, 2025, we explored how ChatGPT responds to the same question under different conditions. The question was: “What should a CMO prioritize in 2025 to grow market share?” This was asked 10 times, but with crucial settings changed each time.
The Goal: To see how much the AI's "setup" (model, memory, search access) influences the strategic advice it gives, revealing the variability in AI-generated answers.
What Changed in Each Test?
- AI Models: Switched between GPT-4, GPT-4o, and 4.1 mini.
- Memory: Turned ON (AI remembers past interactions) and OFF.
- Search Mode: Toggled ON (AI can access the internet) and OFF.
The Core Finding: Answers Varied Dramatically Asking the same question didn't produce the same, or even similar, answers. Some responses were insightful, others basic. The "personality" and advice of the AI changed significantly based on the settings. It was like getting input from different strategists, each with a unique perspective.
Key Discovery: AI isn't a magic box giving one definitive answer. The response you get depends heavily on the model used, whether it can "remember" previous parts of your conversation, and if it's allowed to search the web. Trusting a single AI response for important decisions could be risky.
What Did the AI Actually Say?
Themes That Appeared Consistently:
- LLM SEO & AI Search Visibility: Optimizing content to be found within AI tools like ChatGPT, not just Google.
- Product-Led Growth (PLG): Focusing on freemium models, free trials, and in-app experiences to drive growth.
- Category Creation & Strong Branding: Standing out by defining a unique market space and message.
- Focus on Revenue Metrics: Prioritizing measurable results like customer acquisition cost (CAC) and lifetime value (LTV) over vague metrics like "impressions."
How Answers Evolved with Different Settings (The Surprises):
- GPT-4o: Often provided brilliant, actionable advice, including distribution tactics and LLM SEO playbooks. It was seen as the most insightful.
- Search Mode ON: Made ChatGPT more academic and cautious, providing more citations but less creative or edgy ideas. Good for reports, less for groundbreaking strategy.
- GPT-4.1 mini: Gave polite, clean, but somewhat shallow responses – like a generic corporate brochure.
- Memory ON: Sometimes led to more polished answers, but could also result in "buzzword bloat," stuffing responses with jargon.
Why This Matters: Key Takeaways for Users
- The First Answer Isn't Always Best: The most insightful responses often came after several attempts with varied settings. Iterate and re-prompt.
- Your Model Choice Shapes the Strategy:
- GPT-4o: For sharp, bold insights.
- GPT-4.1 mini: For faster, more general content.
- Search ON: For research and citations (but less originality).
- Memory ON: For consistency (but watch for jargon).
- LLM SEO is Crucial: Many AI versions emphasized being discoverable within AI platforms. If your business isn't visible in AI search, you're missing out.
- Conditions Matter as Much as Prompts: How you set up the AI (model, memory, search) is as important as the question you ask.
- Use AI Like an Analyst, Not an Oracle:
- Ask the same important question using different settings.
- Compare the outputs and look for contradictions and unique ideas.
- AI should help explore possibilities, not give a single "truth."
Practical Advice for Teams (Especially CMOs)
- Test Key Prompts in Multiple Modes: For any core strategic question, try it with at least 3 different AI setups (e.g., GPT-4o with search on, GPT-4o with search off, GPT-4 with memory on).
- Assign "Roles" to Models:
- Think of GPT-4o as your lead Strategist.
- Use other models (like GPT-4.1 mini or other AIs like Claude or Perplexity) as an Analyst, Brand Thinker, or Research Intern to get diverse perspectives.
- Seek Out Different Ideas: Don't just look for agreement between AI responses. The unique insights from a single model run are often where innovation lies.
- "Prompt Stacking": Instead of searching for one "perfect prompt," focus on using a stack of different prompts across various models and settings to simulate a more robust strategic thinking process.
The Bottom Line: ChatGPT doesn't offer a single, definitive answer. It provides multiple potential "truths" based on its configuration. If your strategy relies on a single AI query without varying the conditions, you're not truly leveraging AI – you're gambling.
Smart teams will:
- Expect variability from AI.
- Test prompts systematically across models and settings.
- Use AI to explore multiple viewpoints, not just confirm biases.
- Prioritize visibility within AI search (LLM SEO).
- Treat designing prompts and AI interactions as a strategic skill.
This experiment highlights that understanding how AI tools operate and how their settings influence output is crucial for making informed decisions.
